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〃They've　changed　the　cargodirigible　schedule。　Is　there　an　empty　bed　in　one　of　the　dorms？〃

〃Number　46　is　empty。　Across　the　courtyard；　the　building　to　the　left。　There's　a　note　for　you　here　from　Sabul。　He　says　call　on　him　in　the　morning　at　the　physics　office。〃

〃Thanks！〃　said　Shevek；　and　strode　off　across　the　broad　paved　courtyard　swinging　his　luggage　—　a　winter　coat　and　a　spare　pair　of　boots　—　in　his　hand。　Lights　were　on　in　rooms　all　round　the　quadrangle。　There　was　a　murmur；　a　presence　of　people　in　the　quietness。　Something　stirred　in　the　dear；　keen　air　of　the　city　night；　a　sense　of　drama；　of　promise。

Dinner　hour　was　not　over；　and　he　made　a　quick　detour　by　the　Institute　refectory　to　see　if　there　was　some　spare　food　for　a　dropin。　He　found　that　his　name　had　already　been　put　on　the　regular　list；　and　he　found　the　food　excellent。　There　was　even　a　dessert；　stewed　preserved　fruit。　　Shevek　loved　sweets；　and　as　he　was　one　of　the　last　diners　and　there　was　plenty　of　fruit　left　over；　he　took　a　second　dish。　He　ate　alone　at　a　small　table。　At　larger　tables　nearby　groups　of　young　people　were　talking　over　their　empty　plates；　he　overheard　discussions　on　the　behavior　of　argon　at　very　low　temperatures；　the　behavior　of　a　chemistry　teacher　at　a　colloquium；　the　putative　curvatures　of　time。　A　couple　of　people　glanced　at　him；　they　did　not　e　speak　to　him；　as　people　in　a　small　munity　would　speak　to　a　stranger；　their　glance　was　not　unfriendly；　perhaps　a　little　challenging。

He　found　Room　46　in　a　long　corridor　of　shut　doors　in　the　domicile。　Evidently　they　were　all　singles；　and　he　wondered　why　the　registrar　had　sent　him　there。　Since　he　was　two　years　old　he　had　always　lived　in　dormitories；　rooms　of　four　to　ten　beds。　He　knocked　at　the　door　of　46。　Silence。　He　opened　the　door。　The　room　was　a　small　single；　empty；　dimly　illuminated　by　the　light　in　the　corridor。　He　lighted　the　lamp。　Two　chairs；　a　desk；　a　wellused　slide　rule；　a　few　books；　and；　folded　neatly　on　the　bed　platform；　a　handwoven　orange　blanket。　Somebody　else　lived　here；　the　registrar　had　made　a　mistake。　He　shut　the　door。　He　opened　it　again　to　turn　off　the　lamp。　On　the　desk　under　the　lamp　was　a　note；　scribbled　on　a　tornoff　scrap　of　paper：　〃Shevek；　Physics　off。　morning。　241154。　Sabul〃

He　put　his　coat　down　on　a　chair；　his　boots　on　the　floor。　He　stood　awhile　and　read　the　titles　of　the　books；　standard　references　in　physics　and　mathematics；　greenbound；　the　Circle　of　Life　stamped　on　the　covers。　He　hung　his　coat　in　the　closet　and　put　his　boots　away。　He　drew　the　curtain　of　the　closet　carefully。　He　crossed　the　room　to　the　door：　four　paces。　He　stood　there　hesitant　a　minute　longer；　and　then；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　he　closed　the　door　of　his　own　room。

Sabul　was　a　small；　stocky；　slovenly　man　of　forty。　His　facial　hair　was　darker　and　coarser　than　mon；　and　thickened　to　a　regular　beard　on　his　chin。　He　wore　a　heay　winter　overtunic；　and　from　the　look　of　it　had　worn　it　since　last　winter；　the　ends　of　the　sleeves　were　black　with　grime。　His　manner　was　abrupt　and　grudging。　He　spoke　in　scraps；　as　he　scribbled　notes　on　scraps。　He　growled。　〃You've　got　to　learn　lotic；〃　he　growled　at　Shevek。

〃Learn　lotic？〃

〃I　said　learn　lotic。〃

〃What　for？〃

〃So　you　can　read　Urrasti　physics！　Atro；　To。　Baisk；　those　men。　Nobody's　translated　it　into　Pravic；　nobody's　likely　to。　Six　people；　maybe；　on　Anarres　are　capable　of　understanding　it。　In　any　language。〃

〃How　can　I　leam　lotic？〃

〃Grammar　and　a　dictionary！〃

Shevek　stood　his　ground。　〃Where　do　I　find　them？〃

〃Here；〃　Sabul　growled。　He　rummaged　among　the　untidy　shelves　of　small　greenbound　books。　His　movements　were　brusque　and　irritable。　He　located　two　thick；　unbound　volumes　on　a　bottom　shelf　and　slapped　them　down　on　the　desk。　〃Tell　me　when　you're　petent　to　read　Atro　in　lotic。　Nothing　I　can　do　with　you　till　then。〃

〃What　kind　of　mathematics　do　these　Urrasti　use？〃

〃Nothing　you　can't　handle。〃

〃Is　anybody　working　here　in　chronotopology？〃

〃Yes；　Turet　You　can　consult　him。　You　don't　need　his　lecture　course。〃

〃I　planned　to　attend　Ovarab's　lectures。〃

〃What　for？〃

〃Her　work　in　frequency　and　cycle—〃

Sabul　sat　down　and　got　up　again。　He　was　unbearably　restless；　restless　yet　rigid；　a　woodrasp　of　a　man。　〃Don't　waste　time。　You're　far　beyond　the　old　woman　in　Sequency　theory；　and　the　other　ideas　she　spouts　are　trash。〃

〃I'm　interested　in　Simultaneity　principles。〃

〃Simultaneityl　What　kind　of　profiteering　crap　is　Mitis　feeding　you　up　there？〃　The　physicist　glared；　the　veins　on　his　temples　bulging　under　the　coarse；　short　hair。

〃I　anized　a　jointwork　course　in　it　myself。〃

〃Grow　up。　Grow　up。　Time　to　grow　up　You're　here　now。　We're　working　on　physics　here；　not　religion。　Drop　the　mysticism　and　grow　up。　How　soon　can　you　leam　lotic？〃

〃It　took　me　several　years　to　leam　Pravic；〃　Shevek　said。　His　mild　irony　passed　Sabul　by　pletely。

〃I　did　it　in　ten　decads。　Well　enough　to　read　To's　Introduction。　Oh；　hell；　you　need　a　text　to　work　on。　Might　as　well　be　that。　Here。　Wait〃　He　hunted　through　an　overflowing　drawer　and　finally　achieved　a　book；　a　queerlooking　book；　bound　in　blue；　without　the　Circle　of　Life　on　the　cover。　The　title　was　stamped　in　gold　letters　and　seemed　to　say　Poilea　Afiffite^　which　didn't　make　any　sense；　and　the　shapes　of　some　of　the　letters　were　unfamiliar。　Shevek　stared　at　it；　took　it　from　Sabul；　but　did　not　open　it。　He　was　holding　it；　the　thing　he　had　wanted　to　see；　the　alien　artifact；　the　message　from　another　world。

He　remembered　the　book　Palat　had　shown　him；　the　book　of　numbers。

〃e　back　when　you　can　read　that；〃　Sabul　growled。

Shevek　turned　to　go。　Sabul　raised　his　growl：　〃Keep　those　books　with　you！　They're　not　for　general　consumption。〃

The　young　man　paused；　turned　back；　and　said　after　a　moment　in　his　calm；　rather　diffident　voice；　〃I　don't　understand。〃

〃Don't　let　anybody　else　read　them！〃

Shevek　made　no　response。

Sabul　got　up　again　and　came　close　to　him。　〃Listen。　You're　now　a　member　of　the　Central　Institute　of　Sciences；　a　Physics　syndic；　working　with　me；　Sabul。　You　follow　that？　Privilege　is　responsibility。　Correct？〃

〃I'm　to　acquire　knowledge　which　I'm　not　to　share；〃　Shevek　said　after　a　brief　pause；　stating　the　sentence　as　if　it　were　a　proposition　in　logic。

〃If　you　found　a　pack　of　explosive　caps　in　the　street　would　you　'share'　them　with　every　kid　that　went　by？　Those　books　are　explosives。　Now　do　you　follow　me？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃All　right。〃　Sabul　turned　away；　scowling　with　what　appeared　to　be　an　endemic；　not　a　specific　rage。　Shevek　left；　carrying　the　dynamite　carefully；　with　revulsion　and　devouring　curiosity。

He　set　to　work　to　leam　lotic。　He　worked　alone　in　Room　46；　because　of　Sabul's　warning；　and　because　it　came　only　too　naturally　to　him　to　work　alone。

Since　he　was　very　young　he　had　known　that　in　certain　ways　he　was　unlike　anyone　else　he　knew。　For　a　child　the　consciousness　of　such　difference　is　very　painful；　since；　having　done　nothing　yet　and　being　incapable　of　doing　anything；　he　cannot　justify　it。　The　reliable　and　affectionate　presence　of　adults　who　are　also；　in　their　own　way；　different；　is　the　only　reassurance　such　a　child　can　have；　and　Shevek　had　not　had　it。　His　father　had　indeed　been　utterly　reliable　and　affectionate。　Whatever　Shevek　was　and　whatever　he　did；　Palat　approved　and　was　loyal。　But　Palat　had　not　had　this　curse　of　difference。　He　was　like　the　others；　like　all　the　others　to　whom　munity　came　so　easy。　He　loved　Shevek；　but　he　could　not　show　him　what　freedom　is；　that　recognition　of　each　person's　solitude　which　alone　transcends　it。

Shevek　was　therefore　used　to　an　inward　isolation；　buffered　by　all　the　daily　casual　contacts　and　exchanges　of　munal　life　and　by　the　panionship　of　a　few　friends。　Here　in　Abbenay　he　had　no　friends；　and　because　he　was　not　thrown　into　the　dormitory　situation　he　made　none。　He　was　too　conscious；　at　twenty；　of　the　peculiarities　of　his　mind　and　character　to　be　outgoing；　he　was　withdrawn　and　aloof；　and　his　fellow　students；　sensing　that　the　aloofness　was　real；　did　not　often　try　to　approach　him。

The　privacy　of　his　room　soon　became　dear　to　him。　He　savored　his　total　independence。　He　left　the　room　only　for　breakfast　and　dinner　at　the　refectory　and　a　quick　daily　hike　through　the　city　streets　to　appease　hi